Never Say Goodbye, a Fanfic Sequel
by MysticDelphox97
Summary: Fan-sequel to "When We Say Goodbye" by 11JJ11. Contains possible events that happen after Alain is forced to leave his family behind forever, and when Mairin reads the letter Alain wrote to her. Eventual mended MarissonShipping and a happy ending. Better description can be found before Part One of this story. Features headcanons that differ from JJ's.
1. Chapter 1

So my wonderful friend JJ, aka 11JJ11, decided to write a broken MarissonShipping fanfic called "When We Say Goodbye," and she finally finished the last part. Of course, I cannot stand the fact that there is a hella huge cliffhanger at the end, as well as numerous unanswered questions. Not to mention that I'm a huge emotional wreckage because of how the story ended.

However! With JJ's generous permission, I have decided to write some of my interpretations of what happens after WWSG in my fan sequel, "Never Say Goodbye"! Please note that while I am writing this with my own ideas, JJ gets full credit for the story as a whole, since she came up with the initial plot and created her adorable Marisson child, Faith. And I'm going to be doing Mended MarissonShipping because Alain and Mairin deserve to be happy, gosh darn it!

Also, if a broken AU isn't your cup of tea, then don't you worry! JJ has plenty of other works that include happy and fluffy and super sweet MarissonShipping moments. I definitely recommend giving those a read for sure!

Hope you guys enjoy!

* * *

 **CHAPTER ONE.**

"…I expect you to inform her as swiftly as possible. The quicker this goes through, the sooner you'll have no connections to them—meaning I can finally make full use of you."

The dark-haired man on the other side of the screen blinked. Stunned, no doubt, from the compromise they had just made. Even though it offered no benefit to him, other than his family would be unharmed.

At least, that's what Lysandre told him.

After a moment of silence, the man spoke up. "…It shall be done, sir," he said in a voice no louder than a whisper.

"Good. We'll talk again soon, Alain."

And with a single tap of his finger, he disconnected the call.

The moment the monitor went black, Lysandre let the façade he'd been putting on vanish. With a heavy groan, he pushed himself away slightly from the desk and rested his face in his hands. His head pounded with a dull headache, and tremors wracked his body. A series of coughs erupted from his lips, despite all his efforts to suppress it. The metallic taste of blood became all too familiar to him now.

"Bryony," Lysandre croaked. Without even a moment's hesitation, his former admin entered the small, dark office that he occupied.

"Yes, sir?"

"My medicine, if you will."

He caught the briefest glimpse of concern on Bryony's face, which was easier to do without her green visor. As quickly as the expression came, it disappeared, and Bryony exited the room with a curt nod towards her boss.

What's left of him, in any case.

A sudden, intense shudder wracked through Lysandre's body. He grimaced as pain surfaced to his chest, and found himself slipping from the chair and falling onto the carpet. He wheezed between coughs, blood spattering from his mouth. When it subsided, Lysandre forced himself to control his breathing. A bought of light-headedness caused him to lean over, but something preventing him from falling again.

"Oh, goodness. You have certainly seen better days, haven't you?"

He recognized that voice, despite it being years since he last heard it. He turned his head towards the woman that had caught him, and was met with orange eyes and perfectly-maintained pink hair.

"What are you doing here?" Lysandre did not bother hiding the contempt laced on his tongue.

The woman frowned disapprovingly, but said nothing as she assisted him back onto the chair. She then sat on the edge of the desk, which creaked under her weight.

"I heard that you cheated death," the woman remarked curtly.

Lysandre glared at her, his hands gripping tightly on the armrests of the chair. "I know that's not why you're here, _Malva._ " He spat out her name like a bad taste in his mouth.

Malva raised an eyebrow curiously at him. She sighed, adjusting her glasses before crossing her legs. "Is that so?" she asked, not bothering to give him an explanation for her sudden appearance.

The former boss of Team Flare grimaced. "Do you really want to play this game, Malva? Because I am not in the m—" he was interrupted with another fit of coughing. Thankfully, it wasn't strong enough to send him over the edge again.

"Clearly, you seem unable to do much as it is," she said. She waited for Lysandre to stop coughing before continuing. "It's a wonder how you got that boy back under your control."

Lysandre stared her down.

"Although, he's hardly a boy anymore, is he? He married a wonderful woman, and even had an adorable little girl. But thanks to you, he's lost that and much more. You are certainly a cruel man, Lysandre."

"He's not difficult to manipulate," Lysandre responded. A thin film of perspiration began to form on his forehead. Where was Bryony?

Malva hummed in agreement. "I'll say. He truly believes you actually killed the Professor," she mused.

Lysandre's eyebrows furrowed. "Because I _did_ kill him," he corrected her.

A mischievous smirk curled itself onto Malva's lips. "Ah. Then it must be a coincidence that dear Augustine is being held captive in the Kanto region… by Team Rocket."

Lysandre felt his skin grow cold. He could only stare at Malva, absolutely dumbfounded by what she just said. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.

With a flick of her hair, Malva hopped from the desk, using her finger to trace its edge as she walked to the front of it. "I must say, you did a convincing enough job to fake his death. Even I was temporarily fooled," she complimented. She stopped walking and turned to face Lysandre. "Although, I knew that was the plan from the very beginning."

"How?"

"A reporter has her ways," she said slyly. Lysandre knew there was more to it than that, however.

"If you know so much… why don't you just tell Alain all of this?" Lysandre glowered.

"I'm not the one who forced him to cut all his ties with people, especially his own wife and daughter," she retorted. Lysandre flinched at her words, and she noticed. "And something tells me you aren't as thrilled to be dragging him into this."

Lysandre's eyes narrowed. "That is preposterous. Alain is merely a tool, nothing more."

Malva frowned and crossed her arms. "Easier to see him as a tool rather than your own son, isn't it?"

In one swift motion, Lysandre leapt from the chair and strode over to Malva. She took one step back, but nevertheless held her ground as he towered over her. His face contorted into a furious glare, and if looks could kill, she'd be dead several times over.

"You have no right…" he threatened. Lysandre expected her to continue, but she only stared at him. A knot began to form in his throat, and his fists were clenched.

He did not expect her gaze to soften. The look she gave him wasn't that of pity, either. "Perhaps I've crossed a line," she muttered, breaking away and glancing away from him.

"…He looks so much like her…" His voice was on the verge of breaking.

It was true, though. There was no doubt that Alain was his son… and that his mother was Alina. The first woman Lysandre fell in love with. He was practically a carbon copy of her. Lysandre brushed it off as his mind playing tricks on him when he first saw the boy. After all, Alina had left Lysandre before Alain had been born… but perhaps there was a chance she knew they were going to have a child, and left anyways.

It was because of Giovanni that Lysandre even found out, only to have that information be used as blackmail against him. As a means of paying off his debt to the boss of Team Rocket, who managed to save Lysandre's life after nearly succumbing to the power of the Megalith's energy. But it had left him weak and sick, and only Team Rocket could supply him with the medicine he needed in order to stay alive. Giovanni had the money and the power to put even someone like Lysandre in their place.

And as it stood now, Lysandre had no choice but to comply with his wishes. Which meant being stuck in this dreadful building complex in an abandoned section of town as his base of operations. It was far from the luxury he was used to at his laboratories… but there was absolutely nothing he could do about it.

He was powerless. He'd never been powerless before. And he despised it.

"If finding this out has made you suddenly care for him… why are you dragging him into this?" Malva's question brought Lysandre back to his senses. He looked at her as she stood, waiting for an answer.

"Because I can make sure his family is safe… by separating him from them," he explained carefully. "Team Rocket would've taken Mairin and Faith away, like they did with the Professor. And I can't imagine that they would be merciful with them."

"Unfortunately, I can't disagree with you on that," Malva sighed. "Is this really alright with you, though? To keep up this charade of a villain, when you're not even in control anymore?"

Lysandre scoffed. "I tried to destroy the world for the sake of making it beautiful again. I can't change that, no matter what I do." A wave of nausea suddenly rushed over him, and Lysandre winced at the sensation. "It's better that I continue to be a villain. There's no hope for this world to ever become beautiful again, anyway."

The sound of the door opening caught both of their attention. Malva and Lysandre watched as Bryony carefully shut the door behind her and approached the desk.

"Your medicine, sir," Bryony simply stated, placing the bottle of pills next to the monitor.

"I suppose that must be my cue to leave," Malva remarked. She smiled at Bryony as she passed by, and made to open the door to leave.

"Malva."

Upon hearing her name, Malva stopped and glanced back. "Yes?"

"What are you planning to do now?" Lysandre inquired.

Malva let out a quiet laugh. "Wouldn't you like to know?" she answered. There was a pause, and then she continued. "There's no telling what Team Rocket has in store for us. I'm going to contact some… acquaintances. See if we can't figure out what Giovanni's planning."

"It won't be easy. The technology he's using, and providing us with, is far more advanced that anything I've ever seen. And he has grunts stationed almost everywhere… it'll be a challenge to sneak by him," he warned.

Malva smiled. "I told you before, haven't I? I have my ways."

And with that, she opened the door and slipped away, shutting it behind her as she left.

A heavy sigh escaped Lysandre's lips. With what little energy he had left, Lysandre ambled back towards the chair and pulled it up to the desk. He grabbed the medicine that Bryony had fetched for him and sat down, untwisting the cap and shaking out several pills from the container. In a single motion, Lysandre swallowed them, chasing it down with a glass of wine that had been left from earlier in the day.

"Sir… is it safe to be taking the medication with alcohol?" Bryony asked.

"The medicine doesn't treat the sickness, just the symptoms," Lysandre explained. He turned to face her. "Have you been able to locate the other former admins?"

Bryony tensed slightly. When she responded, she had trouble looking Lysandre in the eyes. "I… I was able to locate Mabel and contact her. She should be coming by within the week. Celosia and Aliana's locations are unknown. As for Xerosic… he's under strict federal monitorization."

"Giovanni probably has the means to fix that," Lysandre pondered.

"My apologies, sir. The grunts and I will continue to look for them."

Lysandre waived a hand dismissively at her. "I'm sure they'll be found soon," he reassured her.

"Sir… if Team Rocket finds them first…" Bryony began to say.

"They won't," Lysandre cut her off. "We'll find them, Bryony. They'll be safe under my command, I assure you."

Bryony said nothing, but worry was clearly etched on her visage. She mustered as best of a smile as she could, bowed in thanks, and quietly dismissed herself to continue her search. Lysandre was left by himself in the dismal office.

With a quick roll of his shoulders, Lysandre turned the monitor back on and pulled up some documents. He had custody papers to file, after all.

 **END OF CHAPTER ONE.**


	2. Chapter 2

It took about three days to write this chapter, but I managed to finish it! It's longer than the first one, and would've been much longer if I hadn't made some cuts and rearranged where I wanted certain events to take place.

I'm going to shoot for an update about once a week, especially since I'm going back to college for the spring semester, and I'll have less time to dedicate to writing this. My goal IS to complete this fanfic, however, so I'm definitely going to make some time to write whenever I can.

In the meantime, enjoy!

* * *

 **CHAPTER TWO.**

Mairin didn't know what to expect as she unfolded the papers from the envelope. She couldn't figure out why Alain would bother giving this to her, unless it was important. After everything that had happened at the bus stop, she had absolutely no reason to read the envelope's contents like he would have wanted her to. But despite that, she still opened it.

And what she read nearly caused her heart to stop.

She combed through the words of the letter numerous times, mostly because she could hardly believe it. But the truth was written right there. A hand made its way to cover her mouth, a cry threatening to spill out.

 _This… this can't be happening…_ she thought fearfully.

The last time Alain had left her, had cut off all his ties with the people he cared for, had purposely hurt her… was to protect the ones he loved. And he'd done that when… when…

Mairin's chest tightened uncomfortably as she recalled what Cilan had said to her just before their meeting with Alain.

 _"Something may have happened to push him to do this."_

Oh, no. No. No no _nononononononono—_

Mairin wasted no time grabbing her cellphone and scrolling through her contacts until Cilan's name showed up. She immediately pressed to call him and put the phone to her ear, waiting as it tried to connect to him. It didn't take long for him to pick up.

"Mairin? It's hardly been ten minutes, what's wrong?" Cilan asked.

"C-Cilan," Mairin stuttered. "I—it's—it's Alain—he's—I think he's—"

"Breathe, Mairin. Just breathe," Cilan instructed her as soothingly as he could. Mairin nodded, swallowing before she focused on controlling her breathing. After a few seconds, she felt a bit calmer, but her worry was still prominent.

"How are you feeling?"

Mairin sighed. "I… I'm a bit better," she responded.

"Good, that's good. Now, try telling me again what it is you're calling me about," Cilan told her.

"Cilan, I… I think you need to come over. You need to see this for yourself," Mairin explained. Her hand grasped her cellphone tightly, and she could feel her fingers turning cold. "Are… are you too busy, or…?"

There was a pause. She heard a small hum from Cilan's end, and then the sound of typing before he finally replied. "I have no other meetings until late tonight, so I've got time to come. I should be there in… half an hour, perhaps? There's just a bit of paperwork for me to look at, and then I'll be all set."

"Thank you, thank you so much Cilan. I'll tell you everything once you're over, I promise," she said.

"It's no trouble at all, Mairin. I'll see you soon."

A wave of relief washed over her as Cilan ended the call. She returned her phone to her pocket, and turned her attention back to Alain's letter. She picked up the documents once more, shuffling through them to look for the bank account information that he had mentioned in the letter. She finally came upon it, and gave it a read. The account was in her name, and it had a considerable amount of money already in it. She didn't know how Alain had gotten the money, but it was more than enough to support her and Faith.

Mairin stopped reading for a moment. She put the bank account papers down and picked up the letter once more, scanning it until she came to a certain spot.

 _I want you to know that I have never stopped loving you._

Her lips curled and trembled as a knot formed in the back of her throat. She reread that paragraph until hot tears left her vision blurry, and stained the pages in her hands.

Alain still loved her. He never stopped. The divorce, leaving them behind, giving up Faith… oh, why didn't she see this sooner? Why did she even think that Alain had wanted this—had wanted _any_ of this? Of course he wouldn't have! He was probably suffering as much as she had been, and… there was absolutely no way he had gone through this willingly!

She had been wrong. Oh, Arceus, she had been so, _so very wrong._

"Mommy?"

Mairin snapped her head back up and saw Faith standing by the doorway to her room, where Mairin was currently sitting on her bed. She hastily wiped her tear-stained cheeks, hoping that her daughter hadn't seen her crying.

"Y-yes, honey?"

Faith said nothing as she walked across the room towards her mother. She stood in front of Mairin, looking at her face, then looking down at the papers she was still holding in her lap. Then, with Greninja-like reflexes, she swiped them out of her hands and started to read their contents.

"Faith, no!" Mairin panicked, getting up from the bed and reaching for the papers. Faith was much faster, however, and quickly dashed out of the room.

"Faith! Come back!" Mairin called as she sprinted after her daughter. Although Faith had gotten a head start, Mairin could still hear the sounds of her feet trampling on the floor.

Mairin ran through the hallway, glancing briefly into the kitchen for any signs of Faith before heading into the living room. The sliding glass door that connected the living room to the back patio was slightly ajar, meaning that Faith had slipped outside. Mairin pushed the door open more so she could get through, then shut it behind her. She took a few steps onto the deck, looking around the backyard for her daughter.

It didn't take long for Mairin to find her. She saw Faith huddled against the small dogwood tree that resided at the corner of the fenced yard. Chespie and Bebe were crouched on either side of the young girl, who clutched the papers in her hands like Mairin had just a few moments ago.

With a solemn sigh, Mairin began to walk towards them. There wasn't any need to run after her at this point; she knew that Faith would've read the letter in its entirety by now. Which also meant that Faith would have numerous questions for her.

Questions that Mairin did not have the answers to.

When Mairin finally reached her daughter, she could hear faint whimpers emitting from her, and tears were falling freely from her amber eyes. The sight of Faith so visibly upset pained Mairin greatly, like knives were being twisted into her chest. Chespie made room for his beloved trainer as she sat down besides Faith, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her close. Faith sniffled and leaned into her mother's embrace, holding the letter close to her torso.

"I'm so sorry, Faith." That was all Mairin managed to say before her voice began to crack on her.

Faith looked up at her with tearful eyes. "I-is Daddy really g-gone f-for-forever?" she asked.

Mairin swallowed in an attempt to remove the knot that was reforming in her throat. "I… I don't know, honey…" she said.

"H-he wrote that he still loved you, Mommy… and—and he didn't want to leave you at all! B-but… why did he leave? What—what happened to Daddy, Mommy?"

Mairin opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. She looked away from the sad gaze of her daughter, with her own tears threatening to spill once more. What was she supposed to say? That she had no idea what was happening with Alain? Or should she try to reassure her that everything will be alright, that Alain will be perfectly fine? Mairin's head was practically spinning, and she had no way to answer Faith.

Some mother she was.

Suddenly, she sensed movement behind her. Mairin snapped her head back up to see Chespie shuffling over so he was sitting behind her and Faith. In a single motion, he wrapped his arms around them and pulled them close. Bebe followed his actions by kneeling closer to Faith and placing her hands on her shoulders, cooing reassuringly as she did so. Chespie faced his trainer and nuzzled his cheek against hers as he rumbled comfortingly.

A small smile broke out on Mairin's lips. She reached her free hand up to stroke her partner's head, and Chespie leaned into her touch.

"Thanks, Chespie," she said gratefully. The loyal Chesnaught grinned happily, knowing that he managed to cheer up his trainer, even just a little bit.

With that, Mairin turned her gaze back to Faith. The little girl stared at her mother, her eyes a bit puffy but no longer tearful. Mairin closed her eyes, taking a deep breath before opening them again. She gathered Faith into her arms and settled her onto her lap, while she still clung to the now-wrinkled letter.

"Faith…" Mairin began to say. She was a little surprised with how calm she sounded right now, but nevertheless continued. "When Daddy left, I… I was confused, and sad. I didn't know why he decided to leave, and it hurt to watch him go."

Faith nodded. "I remember, Mommy. You were sad for a long time. I was sad, too. I didn't want Daddy to go away," she replied.

Mairin agreed with a melancholy hum. "But… even though Daddy and I were no longer together… I didn't want to keep you away from him. I still wanted you to have him in your life." She paused, taking another deep breath to keep herself calm. "But… hearing that he wasn't spending much time with you… I thought he was letting his work take priority. That's why I talked to him, to try harder to make time for you.

"When I found out he took you camping, I was… a bit mad, at first. I didn't know where he was taking you, and I let the thought of losing you get the best of me. But… when I heard how much fun you had with him… I thought that maybe he had a change of heart." Another pause. "…but he did it because… because it was the last time he'd get to be with you… and I thought he'd just given up."

Mairin stopped there. She studied Faith, who was listening intently. Her eyes wandered down towards the letter in Faith's little hands.

"But this letter…" Mairin resumed talking, pointing towards the papers, "if this letter proves anything… it's that Daddy still cares very much about you… about us. The reason he left in the first place was to keep us safe. From what that might be… I don't know exactly. But I do know that everything Daddy is doing is to protect us… because he still loves us."

Faith was quiet, appearing to be processing everything Mairin had just told her. She wouldn't be surprised if Faith still had questions—Mairin did tell her quite a lot, after all. Faith pulled the letter away from her chest, looking at it once more.

"…Daddy still loves us…" she repeated, her voice just above a whisper. Mairin couldn't help but smile as she ran her fingers through Faith's hair, which was the same dark color as Alain's.

Upon this contact, Faith lifted her head up to look at her mother. "What's gonna happen now, Mommy? What's gonna happen to Daddy?" she asked.

Mairin removed her hand from her daughter's head and placed it on her cheek. "Cilan's coming over to take a look at the papers that Daddy left. We'll figure out where to go from there," she told her.

Faith beamed happily. She leaned forward, resting against Mairin and wrapping her arms around her. Mairin returned the embrace, holding Faith close.

"I love you, Mommy," Faith said, her voice muffled by Mairin's shirt.

"I love you too, honey," Mairin replied, brushing a lock of Faith's hair to the side and giving her a tender kiss on her forehead.

Chespie and Bebe made noises of contentment at the sight of their trainer and her child in better spirits. Not wanting to be left out, the Florges and Chesnaught joined them in an enormous hug. Faith and Mairin both laughed, and together, the four of them enjoyed a moment of mirth before breaking apart to head back inside for dinner.

* * *

Cilan came knocking on the door just as Mairin and Faith had finished eating supper. Mairin sent Faith to her room to play with Bebe and Chespie so she and Cilan could chat in private. As the two Pokémon led Faith away, Mairin showed Cilan to the kitchen.

"I just need to wash these dishes, and then we can talk," Mairin told him as she began to fill the sink with warm, soapy water. "If you need something to drink, there should be some iced tea in the fridge."

Cilan smiled warmly and thanked her as he helped himself to a glass of the cool drink. He seated himself to a stool at the kitchen island and pulled out a tablet from his leather satchel. After a few moments, Mairin finished washing the last of the dishes and placed them on the drying rack. She wiped her hands on a clean towel before dipping out of the kitchen briefly. When she returned, she had the envelope, the letter, and the bank account documents.

"This is what I wanted to show you," Mairin explained as she sat down in the other stool. She placed the papers next to Cilan's tablet.

"Is this from Alain?" Cilan inquired as he pushed the tablet aside.

Mairin nodded. "I… I think it's better if you read it first."

Cilan merely hummed in response. He pulled out a glasses case from the satchel and opened it, revealing a pair of reading glasses. He slipped them onto his face before grabbing the letter gingerly, holding it in both hands as he began to read it.

Mairin fiddled with her hands nervously as she watched Cilan read the letter. There was an unsettling sensation in the pit of her stomach, and it weighed heavy like a stone. She couldn't identify any changes in his expression, but a little over halfway through the letter, she saw Cilan remove one of his hands from the paper and place his thumb and index finger across his chin.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Cilan let out a long exhale and put the letter down.

"…This has quite the disturbing flavor…" he muttered, running a hand through his hair.

Mairin raised an eyebrow in confusion. "A disturbing… what?" she asked.

"It's just an expression that Pokémon connoisseurs use sometimes," Cilan clarified. Mairin still didn't understand it exactly, but they had more important matters to worry about. "He mentioned something about a bank account in this letter… do you happen to have…?"

Mairin wordlessly passed the documents in question to him. He took them from her and carefully looked through their contents.

"Oh my," Cilan commented once he had finished reading.

"What are you thinking?" Mairin asked cautiously.

"I'm thinking," Cilan began, turning in the stool so he was facing Mairin, "that Alain wouldn't have gone through all of this trouble if he didn't believe you and Faith were in danger."

It was one thing for Mairin to realize the meaning of Alain's letter. But to hear Cilan confirm her fears… it was almost too much for her to take in.

Mairin leaned forward to rest her elbows on the marble surface of the kitchen island, covering her face with her hands. "I can't believe this is happening again," she whimpered.

"Again?" Cilan narrowed his eyes, studying her. "You mean… he's done this before?"

Mairin pulled her face away from her hands, lacing her fingers together and pressing her knuckles against her chin. She closed her eyes, remembering the events that transpired so many years ago.

"When I met Alain, he was working for a man. A man… named Lysandre," Mairin recalled, grimacing at the mention of the former Team Flare boss. "Though, he was hardly a man and more of a monster, if you ask me."

"Lysandre… that's the same person responsible for the Kalos Crisis all those years ago, right?" Cilan asked.

Mairin nodded in confirmation. "Yes. But, Alain… _nobody_ knew of Lysandre's true intentions. As far as Alain knew, he was keeping the people he cared about safe by helping Lysandre with his research." She groaned, rubbing her temples. "Lysandre was controlling Alain… he convinced him to distance himself from Professor Sycamore for the sake of protecting him… but it was all to isolate Alain, so he could continue to use him.

"And the things he had Alain do… he didn't have any regards for his safely. For Xerneas's sake, he had Alain and Charizard battle against two legendary Pokémon in their most powerful forms!" she exasperated, her hands slamming on the surface of the kitchen island. "And what did he have Alain go through after that? A gauntlet against ten mega evolution users, _without stopping!_ All just to prove that he was strong enough!"

Mairin ended her rant, finding herself breathing rather heavily, and her skin was heated. Cilan said nothing, taking a moment to process the information.

"Do you think Lysandre is the cause of this?" Cilan questioned her.

Mairin sighed. "I don't know… maybe he somehow survived from all those years ago, maybe it's someone else this time," she admitted. "But I know, I _absolutely_ know that Alain is not doing this of his own free will," she said. To herself, she added, "and I didn't see it in time."

Cilan placed a hand tenderly on her shoulder, a sympathetic look on his visage. "Mairin, please try not to blame yourself. He kept this well-hidden from you, prioritizing yours and Faith's safety over his own," he tried to reassure her. "Even if that meant enduring the pain of pushing you away."

Mairin sniffled, grimacing as she felt the all-too familiar stinging in her eyes. She blinked several times, trying to keep the tears from falling. Cilan's hand trailed down from her shoulder to her back, and rubbed small circles in an attempt to comfort her.

"I still don't like how handled this, and the hurt he inflicted on you," he remarked darkly, "and I hope you don't plan on forgiving him so easily for this."

"I know…" Mairin muttered.

"But… if he's mixed up in something dangerous, then I cannot simply look the other way."

A small gasp escaped Mairin's lips as she jerked her head to face Cilan. "Y-you mean that? You're gonna help him?"

Cilan said nothing as he pulled his tablet back towards him and turned it on. Using the detachable keyboard, he typed several keystrokes in order to find what he was looking for. Once he was satisfied, he turned the tablet slightly so Mairin could see what was displayed on the screen.

"This is Detective Emma Looker from the Looker Bureau in Lumiose City," Cilan explained. He had pulled up the image of a woman with violet eyes, tanned skin, and dark hair that was tied back in a messy braid. "She was trained under Agent Looker from the international police, and usually tackles private investigation cases."

Mairin looked from Emma's picture to Cilan. "And you think she can help us?" she asked him.

"There is a high possibility that she can," he agreed. "I'll contact her about the situation and see where things go from there. I may also need a copy of the papers that were in the envelope for her to look at, in case she picks up on anything that we missed."

Mairin nodded eagerly. "I have a scanner that I can use to make digital copies of them," she told him. "I'll scan them in and send them to you when I can."

Cilan hummed approvingly. "Excellent. In the meantime, it's best that you and Faith leave Kalos for a short time."

Mairin furrowed her eyebrows. "Leave? Cilan, I can't just leave! Not with Alain—" she retorted, but Cilan cut her off before she could continue.

"Mairin, Alain specifically stated in his letter that Kalos was no longer a safe place for you to be," Cilan reminded her. "And you have a daughter to look out for now."

Mairin opened her mouth to reply, but quickly shut it and frowned. Cilan was right, like he usually was. In different circumstances, Mairin wouldn't have hesitated to track down Alain and bring him back. Hearing Faith's laughter echoing from her bedroom brought her back to reality. She couldn't afford to act on her own feelings, not while Faith needed her now more than ever.

"…Okay," Mairin said after a brief moment of silence. "You're right, Cilan. I have to put Faith's wellbeing first." She straightened her posture, a newfound determination lighting a fire in her eyes. "I'll book a flight out of Kalos first thing tomorrow. Someplace where Faith will be safe."

Cilan nodded with a smile. "Good thinking, Mairin. Do you have a particular place in mind? Perhaps where there's people who could help you?"

Mairin pondered this. Did she know of a such a place…?

A grin formed on her lips. Ah, she _did_ know a place. She and Alain had visited this region many years ago, when they first began their journey to look for Mega Stones. It was there that Mairin met a certain Champion, although he had retired from his position since then.

But if anyone could help them, it was that person.

"Yes, Cilan," Mairin said with confidence. "I know the perfect place to go."

 **END OF CHAPTER TWO.**


	3. Chapter 3

My apologies for the late update! College has officially started for me, and I have five classes that need my full attention. The best times for me write are on the weekends, so I'm going to have to change my update schedule to every other week. But I do not plan on giving up on this fic! I am determined to give "When We Say Goodbye" the happy alternate ending it deserves, no matter how long this takes me to finish.

Also, the Pokémon established for Mairin's full team were created by JJ in her fic "Falling For You," and I decided to add them in this fic to stay true to her headcanons. That does not mean this depressing sequence of events happens in the "Falling For You" universe, however! It's more like… a really bad alternative, or something. Which I plan on making right!

A reminder as well that you can find this fic on DeviantArt, Tumblr, and A03 :)

Without further ado, here is Chapter 3! Enjoy!

* * *

 **NEVER SAY GOODBYE**

 **CHAPTER THREE**

"Whoa, Mommy! Kalos looks so small from up here!"

Mairin couldn't help but giggle at Faith, whose face was plastered against the window of the plane. Her amber eyes stared in awe as she took in the breathtaking sight of the Kalos region, which was shrouded by white, puffy clouds, and growing smaller in the distance.

"Everything looks a lot different from up in the air," Mairin remarked.

Faith pulled away from the glass, leaving a rather large smear on it. She sat back on the seat properly, holding her Fennekin doll, Kindle, in her arms.

"I can't wait 'til we get to Ho-in," Faith beamed excitedly. "I bet it's gonna be super-duper awesome!"

Mairin hummed in response. "Hoenn is quite different from Kalos, but I think you'll have a good time there," she told her.

Faith eyed her mother curiously. "Have you ever gone to Ho-in before, Mommy?" she asked.

"Yes, honey. It was a very long time ago, though," Mairin replied. Faith seemed satisfied with her answer, and turned her attention back to the window.

It had been many years since Mairin had set foot upon the Hoenn region. She and Alain had gone back a few times after the Kalos Crisis as part of their research with Mega Evolution. And every time they went, a certain man always made room for them in his schedule—a man named Steven Stone. Although no longer the Champion of the region, he was still highly respected by members of the League, and never hesitated to help those in need.

When Mairin initially contacted Steven, she was surprised that he picked up as quickly as he did. He still maintained a rather busy lifestyle, even after stepping down from his title. She didn't explain the entire situation to him, only saying that she and Faith needed to leave Kalos for a while, and asked if Steven could help them. He happily agreed, and offered Mairin a place for her and Faith to stay in Mossdeep City, where Steven lived. He also secured a private plane that would take them directly to the location.

When she and Faith arrived at the airport, the receptionist called over a flight attendant that led them to the private plane and were personally greeted by the pilot that Steven hired to fly them. How exactly he managed to do all of this, Mairin had no idea. But she was incredibly grateful for it.

That being said, she also felt a twinge of guilt. Not because of the lengths Steven went through just to get her and Faith to Hoenn, however. Mairin had to leave her work at the Pokémon Daycare on such short notice, and without any preparations made to cover her shift there. Fortunately, her boss was extremely understanding of the sudden change in plans and told her not to worry about it.

But considering that Mairin's boss was none other than her dear friend Bonnie, it didn't settle quite right with her.

Before heading to the Lumiose City airport, Mairin had stopped by the daycare, which wasn't a hassle since it was on the way. Bonnie had allowed Mairin to let some of her Pokémon stay at the daycare, since her house in Coumarine City was only big enough for a couple of her Pokémon to live in. That privilege was granted for Chespie and Bébé, since they were the first Pokémon that Mairin had started her journey with many years ago. But now, with everything that was happening—and the very real possibility of Faith being in danger—Mairin needed the full strength of her team once more.

Picking up the rest of her party wasn't the only reason why Mairin went to the daycare before leaving. She felt she owed it to Bonnie to give a proper explanation for her sudden departure. They had faced the horrors of the Kalos Crisis together, after all; if anyone could understand Mairin's situation, it was Bonnie.

 _"Good grief, Mairin," the younger woman had said after Mairin finished talking. "You can't seem to catch a break from any of this, huh?"_

 _Mairin sighed at Bonnie's remark. "You're telling me," she replied. "It seems like anything good that ever happens to me… to_ us _… it never lasts for long."_

 _Bonnie frowned, pursing her lips as she crossed her arms. "Bad things don't last long either, you know," she reminded her._

 _All Mairin could do was look down at the floor, an uncomfortable sensation rising into her throat. Bonnie had sensed the change her friend's demeanor, and pulled her into an embrace. Mairin froze briefly, slightly shocked from the sudden contact, but she just as quickly returned the hug._

 _"You know, Mairin…" Bonnie began to say, "you're a lot stronger than you give yourself credit for. I can't imagine how you've been able to keep your head up with everything you've been through."_

 _A light chuckle escaped from Mairin's lips. "I have to be… for my daughter," she told her._

 _The two women separated, and Bonnie handed Mairin a tray of Pokéballs that belonged to her. "I'm really gonna miss you, Mairin," she said with a smile._

 _"You're making it sound like I'm never coming back," Mairin joked as she took the tray. "It's just for a few days, until this blows over."_

 _"Well, you never know with these things!" Bonnie exclaimed with a huff. She paused, her gaze softening before she continued. "But seriously. It's wonderful having you here, Mairin. You're a huge help, and I can't thank you enough for it."_

 _Mairin couldn't help but blush at her comment. "I should be thanking_ you, _Bonnie. You gave me a chance to support Faith after… after the divorce." She had hesitated at the end, not wanting to say that last word._

 _The younger woman grinned cheerfully. "Don't sweat it! That's what friends do, after all—they help each other out!"_

 _After pocketing her Pokéballs, Mairin called Faith back from playing with the other Pokémon at Bonnie's daycare, and they proceeded back to the car. Bonnie accompanied them outside, helping buckle Faith into her booster seat. As Mairin hopped into the driver's seat, Bonnie leaned against the open door._

 _"Hey, call me when you get a chance to once you're there, okay?" Bonnie requested._

 _Mairin answered with a smile. "Sure thing, Bonnie."_

 _On that note, Mairin started the car, waving at her friend as she exited the parking lot of the daycare and back on the road to Lumiose City._

Now here she was, aboard a plane that was taking her and her daughter out of the Kalos region… the place that Mairin called home. Strangely enough, she didn't feel very upset about leaving Kalos behind them. There were good memories there—lots of them, in fact. But… they also held painful memories; ones that Mairin wished she never had to experience.

This trip to Hoenn would be a welcome change. Both for Mairin and Faith.

A gentle sigh caught Mairin's attention. She looked at her daughter, and the sight before her caused Mairin to crack a smile. Faith had fallen asleep curled up on the seat, with Kindle held close to her. Mairin watched the little girl's chest rise and fall steadily with each breath. She looked so peaceful, as if nothing bad could ever happen to her. If only that moment of bliss could last forever.

Mairin carefully brushed a stray hair from Faith's face and gave her a delicate peck on her forehead. "Sweet dreams, my love," she whispered to her daughter. She leaned back into the seat and closed her eyes as Kalos faded farther into the distance.

* * *

A couple of hours later, the plane finally touched upon the land of the Hoenn region. As its wheels struck the pavement of the runway, the cabin rattled slightly. The sudden movement woke Mairin up. She groaned, rubbing the back of her hand against her eyes before blinking a few times to chase away the rest of her sleepiness.

"Hi, Mommy!"

The sound of Faith's loud voice was enough to fully awaken Mairin. She turned to her daughter, who was bright-eyed and full of energy. Mairin stifled a rather long yawn with her hand. She flinched slightly as orange light glared through the window. She waited for her eyes to adjust a bit more and saw that the sun was partially hidden behind the horizon, signaling that evening was fast approaching. It was quite a difference from the early morning when they'd left the Kalos region.

"Hey there, honey," Mairin greeted her daughter. "Did you sleep well?"

Faith nodded enthusiastically. "Uhuh! I sure did! And guess what? Mr. Pilot said that we're in a different time zone now, so it's almost night-time in Ho-in!" she eagerly told her mother.

"He's right. That's because the time in Hoenn is a few hours ahead of Kalos," Mairin clarified.

The door to the passenger's cabin opened with a hiss. The pilot responsible for their safe passage to the Hoenn region popped his head through the opening, giving a slight wave to Mairin and Faith.

"We've officially arrived at Mossdeep City, Ms. Floraison!" the pilot announced with a pleasant smile. "A staff member will bring your luggage over to the limo, so you only need to worry about remembering your carry-on bags."

Faith grinned excitedly and clambered over Mairin towards the aisle. Mairin huffed and shook her head as Faith bolted towards the door, seeming to have forgotten that her backpack was still on the plane.

"I'll get it," she muttered as she stood up from seat, minding her head as she opened the compartment above and grabbed her and Faith's bags. She pulled the straps of her own bag over her shoulders while holding Faith's backpack in her hand, and promptly made her way to exit the plane.

The glare of the evening sunlight struck her almost immediately. Mairin winced and shielded her eyes, waiting for them to adjust. After a few moments, she lowered her hand to grip the handrail and carefully descended down the stairs. Upon the last step, her foot unfortunately gave out from under her, and Mairin yelped as she started to fall forward.

Just before her face met the asphalt, a pair of arms managed to catch her.

"Are you alright, Mairin?"

There was a hint of playfulness in that voice, which Mairin recognized immediately. She looked up and saw none other than Steven Stone. Although his face bore signs of aging, and it was rather evident that he hadn't shaved in a while, Steven hadn't changed much since Mairin last saw him.

Mairin smiled. "It's nice to see you too, Steven," she replied.

Steven returned it with a cheery hum and gently pulled Mairin back onto her feet, keeping a steady grip on her arms. Once she was up, he brought his hands to Mairin's and held them in his own.

"I see your habit of tripping hasn't entirely subsided yet," the former Champion remarked with a cheeky wink. His comment resulted in an annoyed grimace from her.

"I'm convinced that I'm stuck with this for the rest of my life, to be perfectly honest," Mairin admitted with a groan.

The sound of scampering feet caught the attention of the two adults. Mairin turned her head in the direction it was coming from and watched as Faith bounded towards them. When she got close enough, she crashed into her mother's leg, nearly causing Mairin to topple over once more. Fortunately, Mairin was able to brace herself for the impact.

"Careful, Faith." Mairin reprimanded her daughter, pushing her back slightly. Faith looked at her with a pout on her face, one fist planted on her hip while the other held onto Kindle.

"You're too slow, Mommy! What took you so long?" Faith retorted back.

" _Someone_ forgot to take their backpack out of the plane," Mairin explained as she held the bag in question towards her.

Faith's eyes widened. "My backpack!" she exclaimed, taking it from Mairin's hand. "Sorry, Mommy. I was so excited to see the limo that I completely forgot," she apologized sheepishly, looking down at her feet.

Mairin sighed but couldn't stop herself from smiling. "It's alright, honey," she said, rubbing her daughter's head lovingly. "You can go on ahead to the limo if you want. Steven and I will be right behind you," she told her.

Faith grinned jubilantly and darted back to the sleek black vehicle, where a bellhop was loading the last of Mairin and Faith's luggage into the trunk. Steven and Mairin strolled behind her, taking their time approaching the limousine.

"She's gotten a lot bigger last I saw her," Steven noted, his silvery-blue eyes fixated on the younger girl.

"Last time you saw her in person was when she was two," Mairin reminded him. She watched as the bellhop opened the door for Faith to climb inside, and her gaze softened. "…She has grown up quite a bit though, hasn't she," she muttered to herself.

Steven placed a ring-adorned hand on her shoulder. He walked alongside her the rest of the way to the limousine, the bellhop continuing to hold the door open. Steven offered his hand to Mairin and guided her into the seat before entering, sitting across from her and Faith. The bellhop closed the door firmly, and soon after, the driver started the car's engine and began to drive out of the airport.

About halfway to their destination, Steven opened a hidden compartment in one of the seats and pulled out a neatly wrapped gift. "For you, my dear," he said as he extended it towards Faith.

Faith gingerly accepted the gift, taking a moment to study the elegant wrapping used to conceal whatever was underneath. "It's not my birthday, Mr. Steven," she stated.

"I'm aware, my dear," Steven replied with a pleasant air, "but it doesn't have to be your birthday to receive presents, does it…?"

Faith smiled excitedly, wasting no time to rip the decorative paper apart. She gasped as she uncovered Steven's gift; a soft blanket with little images of Fennekins patterned across it. Her eyes were practically sparkling with joy as she pulled the blanket closer to her face.

"I love it, Mr. Steven! Thank you so, so much!" Faith exclaimed with a huge grin.

Mairin rolled her eyes good-naturedly. She wasn't surprised that Steven was doting on her little girl. He had a soft spot for her, and it didn't help that Faith captured the hearts of almost everyone that she met. She could only hope that he would try not to shower her with presents all the time.

Not long afterwards, the limousine finally arrived at the place where Mairin and Faith would be staying. As Mairin exited the vehicle, she marveled at the sight of the building before them.

She had never been to Steven's residence before, but Mairin had to admit, the place was stunning. The house was three stories tall and had been built with exquisite stone masonry (which was rather fitting for a rich man who was fascinated with rocks). It was built near one of the cliffsides of Mossdeep City and seemed to bend naturally with the curve of the cliff's edge. The placement certainly gave whoever lived there a breathtaking view of the ocean and craggy peaks that jutted out from the water. It was magnificent, to say the least.

And for a few days, Mairin and Faith would have the privilege to live here.

"I've already had staff prepare two guestrooms for you," Steven informed them as he guided them into the mansion. "They'll also bring your suitcases up and begin unpacking while we have dinner."

Mairin nodded. "That sounds wonderful, Steven," she commented.

Steven lead them up to the second floor, then politely excused himself to attend to some urgent business. Mairin took the opportunity to familiarize herself with the rooms. Hers was quite spacious, with more than enough room to maneuver about easily. There was an elegant oak dresser, a vanity that also acted as a desk, and a walk-in closet. The bed had recently been made up, with the cushions fluffed, and clean, soft sheets adorning the mattress. Mairin was especially pleased to find out that her room came with its own en-suite that consisted of a huge bathtub. She made a mental note to try it out sometime.

Faith's room was right down the hall from Mairin's and while not quite as large, it was perfect for Faith. The little girl wasted no time flopping onto the bed and rolling about, playing with her Fennekin plush as she did so. Mairin watched her daughter, taking in as much of this moment as she could. Seeing Faith radiating happiness filled Mairin with a sense of peace and relief.

She knew now that bringing Faith here was the right call.

Several minutes later, a butler called for Mairin and Faith, announcing that dinner ready. A grumble in the pit of her stomach confirmed that it was time to eat—although, in Kalos, it would probably be closer to lunchtime than supper. They were escorted into Steven's personal dining room, which was used for when he only had a couple of guests to entertain. A couple of waiting staff brought out delicious-looking dishes and set them on the table. As soon as Steven gave the OK, the three of them filled their plates with the food and dug in.

Between bites of their meal, they chatted about various topics. Steven talked about what it was like to be running the Devon Corporation after succeeding his father, while Mairin talked about her time working with Bonnie and the shenanigans of managing a Pokémon Daycare. Faith was the real star of the conversation, however; whatever possible stories came to her mind, she did not hesitate to share with Steven and her mother, and the two were very much entertained by this.

It wasn't until dinner had drawn to a close, with staff taking away the dirty dishes and utensils, that Mairin realized how… different the atmosphere was here. It was cheerful and warm, something that Mairin hadn't felt in a long time.

The last time she did was… it was when Alain was still with them. Back when the three of them ate dinner together at the small table in the kitchen. Faith would ramble on incessantly about what she'd done that day, and Alain would smile warmly at her and join in the conversation. He'd also take Mairin's hand into his own, the silver band of his wedding ring glinting under the kitchen light as he rubbed his thumb affectionately over knuckles, his blue eyes gazing into hers with endearment…

But that had been nearly two years ago, when Alain first began to act cold and distant towards her. And then, unexpectedly, he said he no longer loved her…

"Mairin?"

Mairin was snapped out of her thoughts by Steven's concerned voice. He'd pulled up a chair closer to her, resting a hand on her shoulder. Steel-colored irises stared into her amber eyes, trying to understand what had come over her.

"Are you feeling unwell?" Steven inquired softly.

Mairin sniffled, looking down from his gaze to her lap as her eyes began to sting a bit. "I… I think I've just had a long day," she answered quietly. It wasn't the whole truth… but it wasn't a lie, either.

Steven didn't press the matter any further. Instead, he smiled gently and gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze before retracting his hand.

"I've already sent Faith up to her room to get ready for bed," he told her. "There's a garden past the right wing of the house designed for Pokémon to live in. Your Pokémon are more than welcome to use it."

Mairin returned his smile, albeit with a more solemn one, and thanked him for the offer. Steven led her towards the gardens, walking through a few hallways before they finally came to a sliding glass door. Steven opened it for her, allowing Mairin to enter. Although the sun was long gone by now, replaced by a dark navy sky and twinkling stars, the gardens were brightly lit by outdoor lights. She couldn't see any Pokémon roaming about, but that may have been due to how late it was.

With a deep breath, Mairin took out six Pokéballs and released the Pokémon they contained. Along with Chespie and Bébé, there were four other Pokémon that Mairin had picked up from Bonnie's daycare. Zach the Ampharos, Piper the Pidgeot, Zola the Sandslash, and Kade the Flareon appeared from the flashes of light, cheering when they saw their trainer. Kade was especially happy to see her as he dashed forth and jumped into Mairin's arms. She giggled and stroked the tuft of fur atop his head before placing him back onto the cool grass.

"Hey guys," Mairin addressed her team. "It's been a while since we've all been together like this, huh?"

The Pokémon nodded in agreement, with some grunting and cooing in response.

"Well, there's a reason for that," she began to explain.

They all listened to her attentively as Mairin informed them about their situation. When she finished, Chespie and Bébé looked at their comrades to see their reactions. Zach, Piper, Zola, and Kade glanced at each other, still a bit unsure about what was happening, and evidently worried for their trainer.

"I know this is a lot to take in, and… I'm really sorry for telling you four about this now," Mairin apologized somberly. "But… with everything that's happening… I could really use your help again." She swallowed thickly, trying to loosen the tightness in her throat. "I probably have no right to ask this of you, especially since… since I had to leave you at Bonnie's daycare."

A small draft of cool wind brushed by, causing Mairin to shiver and wrap her arms around herself. "But… m-my daughter might be in danger, and… Alain might be, too." Her voice cracked on her, and her eyes burned even more as tears slipped down her cheeks. "I… I need your help… to protect our loved ones… _please._ "

That last word barely came out as a whisper. Mairin struggled to keep back her sobs, but little whimpers still managed to escape from her lips. Her body trembled, her eyes squeezed shut so the tears wouldn't flow so freely.

"Flare?"

Mairin opened her eyes and saw Kade rubbing his face against her leg. She kneeled and pulled the Flareon into a hug. Zach ambled towards her next, nuzzling into her hair and releasing delicate shocks of electricity. Piper and Zola joined in last, leaning against either side of Mairin. She looked at each of them in disbelief at first, but that was quickly washed away by pure happiness. A wide grin made its way across her cheeks, and she leaned more into her Pokémon's embrace.

"Y-you guys are the best," Mairin said, and the Pokémon responded with blissful cries.

Soon, Mairin had to separate herself from them so she could head back inside and turn in for the night. She said goodnight to everyone, taking a bit longer with Chespie and Bébé as they'd held back to let Mairin and the others have their moment. As she made her way back to the sliding door, Kade trotted after her, brushing his tail across her legs.

"You wanna come in, dontcha?" Mairin asked the little Flareon.

Kade perked his ears up eagerly, wagging his tail. "Flare!" he chirped happily.

She couldn't help but giggle at him. "Alright, you can come in for the night," she agreed.

Steven was still waiting for her when they entered back into the house. Without thinking about it, Mairin pressed herself against him and wrapped her arms around his torso.

"Thank you so much, Steven," she told him, her voice slightly muffled by his jacket.

Steven chuckled airily and laid a hand on her messy auburn hair. "It's my pleasure to help a dear friend," he replied.

They dispersed eventually, and Steven walked Mairin back to her room before wishing her goodnight and heading to bed himself. When she entered the room, Mairin saw Faith asleep on the bed, partially buried under the covers with her new Fennekin blanket and her plush. Mairin didn't have the heart to wake her up, so she allowed her little girl to spend the night. Kade immediately jumped up and cuddled up to her as Mairin put on a nightgown. She then slipped into the other side of the bed after turning off the lights, and laid an arm across Faith's sleeping form.

The last thing Mairin thought about before she closed her eyes to fall asleep… was how she wished Alain was by her side right now.

 **END OF CHAPTER THREE.**


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note:

I really want to apologize for how late this chapter took. Not only was I busy with college, but I had some trouble writing the chapter the way I wanted to. Still, I am pretty satisfied with how it came out!

That being said, the next update might not be for a while–at least until after final exams. I'm also on the hunt for a job, so that will play a bit into it as well. In the meantime, please enjoy chapter four of Never Say Goodbye!

* * *

 **NEVER SAY GOODBYE  
** **CHAPTER FOUR**

If you had told Emma years ago that she would become one of Kalos's most respected detectives, chances were high that she wouldn't have believed a word of it.

For one thing, Emma was an orphan girl, living off the alleyways of Lumiose City. She and the few members of the Lumiose Gang had to turn to petty crimes just to survive. This meant plenty of run-ins with the police, especially the Officer Jenny assigned to the city. She was taken back to the foster care facility more times than she could count, but Emma would much rather take her chances out on the streets than be passed around from one foster family to another. She figured that this would be her life for the rest of her days.

And then she met Agent Looker.

They met when Looker had established a temporary detective agency in Lumiose City, called the Looker Bureau. Some concerned parents had tipped him about their children playing with "those no-good delinquents." When confronted by him, Emma fully expected to be handed over to local police and thrown back into the system.

Instead, Agent Looker offered her work as his assistant, and he'd give her a roof over her head, food to eat, and a warm bed to sleep in, in exchange for her help. Emma hadn't been entirely sure whether to believe him or not initially. It could've easily been a ploy to put her back in foster care, and there was no way that Emma was going back without a fight. However, there was something sincere about his offer, as though he genuinely cared about her wellbeing and wanted to give her a chance to prove herself.

Emma found herself agreeing, but only if her beloved Espurr, Mimi, could stay with her. Looker gladly allowed it, and not long afterwards, Emma began her new life. Looker upheld his promise without fail, and even payed her for her time. But he did much more than provide Emma with material things. Looker gave her something that she thought she'd lost long ago.

Hope for a bright future… and a father figure.

For two years, Emma and Agent Looker lived together, managing the Looker Bureau by helping the residents of Lumiose City when needed, and handling low-rate crime cases. During that time, Looker encouraged Emma to attend school once more, which she eventually agreed to. She struggled at first, and there were times when she wanted to give up… but Looker was there to support her and remind her that all her efforts will pay off in the end.

And when Emma finally held the long-awaited diploma in her hands, she could not stop the tears from falling down her cheeks. Looker cried along with her too, although his act of happiness was rather messy, and he didn't bother holding back. Emma hadn't minded, however, and that blissful moment was captured on film and framed, sitting proudly on Looker's desk.

Sadly, it wasn't meant to last…

All too suddenly, Agent Looker had to leave the Kalos region—and Emma. His superiors called him to return to Kanto for a highly classified mission. Emma begged Looker to take her with him, but he refused, stating that it would be far too dangerous, and he couldn't risk anything happening to her. Emma was tremendously upset, hurting deeply, and feared that she would be abandoned once more. But one look at the agent's face, and she knew it was just as painful for him as it was for her, if not more. Looker didn't want to leave her behind… but he didn't have a choice.

Fortunately, Looker made sure that Emma wouldn't end up back on the streets when he was gone. He left the Looker Bureau for her to inherit, once she became a fully-fledged detective and could work independently. He also found someone to take her in while she continued her studies—a man by the name of Cassius. Emma wasn't sure what to make of him, at first. His punk-like attire and blue mohawk-styled hair didn't exactly leave a positive impression, and his personality was quite the opposite of his looks—he was kind, caring, and a tech genius who apparently used to work with Lumiose City's gym leader, Clemont. But Emma figured if Looker could trust Cassius, then she could, too.

When Looker finally left, it was extremely bittersweet for them. Looker promised her that they would see each other again, and if there was one thing Emma knew about him, it was that Looker always kept his promises. Emma swore to him in return that she would become the best detective in all of Kalos, and wouldn't ever give up until she accomplished her goal. Looker gave her a warm smile, and the two of them embraced each other for a long while before he had to catch his flight.

It has been fifteen long years since then. Emma worked tirelessly to achieve her dream, and soon enough, she was accepted by the Lumiose Police Department as a fledgling police officer. Her burning passion and determination helped her push through the ranks before she was finally promoted. Without a moment's hesitation, Emma opened up the Looker Bureau once more and gave herself the alias "Emma Looker" in honor of the man who never stopped believing in her.

Now, at age 32, Detective Emma Looker was one of Kalos's most dependable members of law enforcement. It was an incredible feeling, and she knew that wherever Agent Looker was, he'd be proud of her.

But Emma couldn't rest on her laurels just yet. She had other cases to tackle, after all.

* * *

"Turn right on this road here," Cassius said, eyes glued to the GPS.

Emma nodded, steering the car in the direction that Cassius informed her of. She was grateful that the older man decided to join her on this case, especially since it meant driving through the rather unsettling parts of Laverre City. Emma was honestly surprised when Cassius chose to work alongside her as a technical analyst. She had to admit, however, his skills came in handy when she needed an expert on technology, and they worked well together.

Emma glanced at the rearview mirror, smiling as she saw Mimi curled up on the backseat. The Meowstic appeared to be sleeping, which Emma didn't think was possible considering how bumpy the roads had been. Nevertheless, Mimi slumbered on, content as a Meowstic could be.

"How much longer until we reach the location?" Emma asked, pressing her foot down on the brake to move slowly over an uneven patch of road.

Cassius pursed his lips. "About ten more minutes, looks like," he informed her. He looked out the passenger's side window, sighing as he readjusted his red-rimmed glasses. "This guy certainly chose a great place to live," he remarked sarcastically.

Emma said nothing, but she did have to admit that out of all the places to live, Alain Vide decided on the sketchiest part of the city. She supposed it might not have been entirely his choice, however—maybe the rundown apartments of Laverre City were all he could afford at the time. There were plenty of variables to consider, and so far, none of them could explain Alain's reasons for living there.

Emma had gotten the call from Cilan Dent, a family lawyer who was hired by Alain's ex-wife, Mairin Floraison. Cilan informed her that a few days ago, Alain slipped a letter into his daughter's backpack for Mairin, which she read. The contents of that letter expressed that Mairin and their child were in danger, and that Alain would no longer be in contact with them. Included in the envelope were documents of a bank account in Mairin's name. Cilan had the papers scanned and sent to the Looker Bureau, which Cassius then analyzed. Fortunately, the bank account had been created legally, although there was still the question of where Alain had gotten such a large amount of money from.

As curious as it was, the origin of the money was not their primary focus. Emma and Cassius were on their way to Alain's apartment to investigate his situation. It was highly evident from the letter that Alain might be involved in something, though what that something was remained a mystery to Emma. Attempts to contact Alain via his cellphone were in vain, as they all went straight to his voicemail, which only raised her suspicions. Eventually, Emma called Alain's landlord to see if he was at home. Apparently, Alain hadn't returned to his apartment in some time, which wasn't unusual for him to do. The landlord said they could come over, but they shouldn't expect him to be there.

Whether he was there or not, Emma was determined to get some answers.

"Ah, looks like the place."

Cassius's voice pierced through Emma's thoughts. She looked to her left, and sure enough, there was the apartment complex. Emma flicked the turn signal and pulled into the parking lot, which she found to be rather empty. After finding a spot to park the car, Emma turned off the ignition and hopped from the driver's seat. Cassius followed suit, grabbing a satchel from the backseat as Mimi jumped out and trotted towards Emma. The female Constraint Pokémon rubbed her head affectionately against Emma's leg, and Emma smiled as she petted the blue tuft of fur between her ears.

"Ready to go?" Emma asked as Cassius rounded the back of the car, striding towards her.

"You bet." Cassius grinned toothily, adjusting the shoulder strap of the satchel. "Can't wait to see how this guy keeps his apartment," he remarked.

Emma rolled her violet-blue eyes at his comment. The three of them began to make their way into the building, which gave Emma the creeps. The feeling only intensified as they entered the foyer. Cobwebs decorated corners of the ceiling, and at one point Emma swore she saw a Spinarak darting across it. The weathered floorboards creaked under her feet with the slightest shift of her weight. Paint was beginning to peel from certain spots of the walls.

"Man, this place missed its calling as a horror house," Cassius mused, rubbing a hand through his hair.

"No kidding," Emma agreed. Mimi mewled in concern, brushing up against her. Emma gave the Meowstic a reassuring pat, although it did little to soothe her.

"Right. Second floor, door 12," Cassius muttered, pulling the sides of his leather jacket close. His gaze studied the elevators, which were next to the door that lead to the stairs. "Are we, uh—"

"Stairs. Definitely the stairs," Emma quickly responded.

Without another word, they entered the stairwell and climbed up to the second floor. Upon entering the dingy hallway on the upper level, Emma could see that the condition was no different. There was balding in the middle of the maroon carpet where people frequently walked, and even more cobwebs strewn across the ceiling, which had a couple cracks here and there. It baffled her that the owners of this place would let it get this unkempt.

They ambled quietly down the hall until finally, a door with a large "12" appeared before them. Emma wasted no time rapping her knuckles against the door.

"Alain Vide?" she called out. "This is Detective Emma Looker from the Looker Bureau. If you're home, we'd like to ask you a few questions." She paused, waiting for a response.

Silence.

Emma knocked once more, a bit harder this time, but still nothing.

"Guess he's not home," Cassius said after she knocked a third time. "How do you plan on getting in?" he asked.

Emma scrunched her eyebrows in thought. She looked to the right of the hallway, then to the left, checking to see if she and Cassius were the only living souls in the vicinity. Satisfied that the coast was clear, Emma bent down slightly, studying the lock on the door.

"Looks like a standard lock-and-key mechanism," she noted. In a fluid motion, she unclasped one of the utility pouches on her belt, pulling out a couple of lockpicking tools, and proceeded to fiddle around with the lock.

"I hope we don't get busted for breaking and entering," Cassius muttered.

Emma frowned, turning to face him. "You do know we work for law enforcement, right? This is kind of part of the job," she told him.

"Well yeah, but we don't exactly have a warrant to get in…" he began to say.

Emma sighed and turned her attention back to the lock. "Probable cause, Cassius. As long as we have a legitimate reason, we can enter someone's property without needing a warrant," she explained.

She heard Cassius emit something akin to a groan, but paid no mind to it. After maneuvering the tools around some more, she managed to lift the last pin up. A satisfying 'click' echoed in her ears, and Emma grinned triumphantly as she stood up and twisted the doorknob.

Emma had to push a bit harder to get the door to budge, the hinges squeaking loudly in protest. After some slight resistance, the door was able to swing open, finally giving them access to the apartment. Emma let Cassius and Mimi in first before she entered, and promptly closed the door behind her.

The apartment was a decent size, not something she'd been expecting. The kitchen and dining room were open concept, with a bar separating the two areas. The place was sparsely decorated, seeming as though Alain only bothered with the necessities. A hall branched off from the kitchen, possibly towards the bedrooms.

Cassius let out a whistle as he scanned the surroundings. "Not horrible, I guess. Still, I'd never imagine having my kid live here."

Emma didn't acknowledge his comment, instead choosing to head towards the small kitchen area. A garbage bin sat haphazardly next to the refrigerator, partially overflowing from numerous energy drink cans and what looked like remains of microwave meals. She heard the sound of the fridge door opening and turned around to see Cassius rummaging through its contents.

"You're seriously taking his food?" Emma snarked, unamused.

Cassius pulled out some Oran berries, which appeared to be a bit old. "Just making sure we don't miss anything," he simply told her. He put the berries back and grabbed a carton of yogurt. Cassius popped open the top—and immediately regretted it as a horrifying smell was released. He threw the yogurt back into the refrigerator and slammed its door shut, pinching his nostrils and waiving at the air around him.

"Great Arceus, that's beyond spoiled!" he gagged.

Emma looked down at Mimi, and Mimi looked back up at her. The two sighed before making their way down the hallway.

There were three doors total. Two on the left and one at the end of the hall. Emma decided on checking the first door on the left. Upon opening it, she immediately knew that this was meant to be a child's room. Some toys were scattered across the rug near the twin-sized bed, and there were drawings taped to the walls. The dresser across from the bed was covered in little stickers. There was no doubt that this was where Alain's daughter, Faith, spent most of her time.

She concluded that there was nothing worth investigating, so Emma left the room untouched. She went to the second door, which revealed what looked like an office—although, judging from the size, she was sure it was supposed to be a second bedroom. Piles of litter were strewn about the floor. Towards the end of the room, Emma saw a computer sitting atop on a desk, with several cans of energy drinks surrounding it.

 _How many energy drinks does this guy have?_ Emma wondered as she made her way carefully towards the computer. She had to nudge some of the trash aside with her foot, so she could forge a path. Eventually, she was able to get to it.

The power button on the computer tower was glowing blue, which indicated that it had already been turned on at some point. Emma looked at the monitor and saw a yellow blinking light above its power button, meaning that it was in sleep mode. She grabbed the mouse and shook it, which reactivated the monitor and lit up the screen. Unfortunately, it took her to the log-in menu, causing her to frown.

"Hey Cassius!" Emma called from over her shoulder. "I'm gonna need your tech skills here!"

There was the sound of scuffling, and a startled yelp from Mimi who was hanging back at the door, before Cassius appeared by her side. He scooted by her and sat in the chair by the desk, placing his satchel on his lap.

"Password protected, eh?" Cassius grinned, opening up the satchel and taking out his laptop. "Challenge accepted."

In a swift motion, he booted up the laptop and connected it to the computer with a special cable. Emma watched as Cassius typed numerous keystrokes, launching several programs that she couldn't make any sense of. Rows of data scrolled down the screen of the laptop which reflected off Cassius's glasses.

"Do you really need all these programs to get a password?" Emma asked, resting her arms atop the chair.

"More or less," Cassius replied, not removing his gaze from the laptop screen. "Depends on how long it takes to crack."

"And how long will that be?"

Cassius pressed a couple of keys, which brought up a small window. It contained a progress meter that was slowly moving horizontally. The number underneath it read 15%.

"It'll be a while before we get in," he informed Emma. "You can probably check on that other room while this thing works its magic. Might be something there that could be important."

Emma pondered this for a few seconds before nodding in agreement. She might as well be doing something while Cassius worked on the computer. Emma backtracked to the door and went into the hallway towards the final room, with Mimi following her.

The room was quite small, and it looked more suited for storage than a bedroom. Despite there only being a bed, a nightstand, and a clothes hamper, the room felt awfully cluttered. Emma barely made it a couple of steps in before she stumbled, but thankfully managed to fall on the mattress. Mimi yelped worriedly, jumping onto the bed next to Emma.

"I'm okay, Mimi," Emma reassured the Meowstic with a smile.

"Mrow!" Mimi chirped in relief, hopping onto Emma's lap and nuzzling her face under Emma's chin. Emma let out a small giggle as she stroked Mimi's soft white fur, resulting in a purr from the Pokémon.

Something had caught Mimi's attention, however, because suddenly she turned her head and stared attentively at the nightstand. She hopped from Emma's lap and walked along the mattress to get closer to it. Mimi blinked, then closed her eyes and lifted her ears, unleashing her psychic energy. The drawer of the nightstand opened up, and from it, several photographs were pulled out.

Emma stood up from the bed, looking at the images floating in the air. She grabbed one and pulled it closer to her face to study it. Her chest constricted slightly as she realized what it was.

Alain was dressed in a smart black tuxedo, holding a red-haired woman in a white silk dress close to him. Emma immediately recognized her to be Mairin, who wore a joyful smile that stretched across her cheeks, her face lit up with bliss. Alain was more subdued, but there was no denying that he looked just as happy as the woman next to him.

This photo had been taken on their wedding day.

Emma let go of the picture, letting it float away. She shifted her gaze towards another image. This one had just Mairin, seemingly asleep on a couch, one arm resting behind her head while the other was wrapped around her very pregnant belly. The next photograph Emma laid her eyes on was of Mairin again, this time holding a newborn baby swaddled in a blanket. Alain was sitting next to her, a hand gently cradling the baby's head. Just like in the wedding photo, the both of them were incredibly happy.

Emma brushed her hand against her cheek, a bit startled when she felt some wetness. She hadn't even been aware that she was crying, or of the weight on her heart that had grown heavy. Emma exhaled shakily, wiping away the last of her tears.

Somehow, she found the strength to look at the rest of the photographs. For the most part, they all featured Mairin and Faith, either in separate pictures or in the same one together. It was so, _so_ clear to Emma that Alain loved them both dearly.

"Why, Alain?" Emma muttered. "Why did you leave them…?"

"Emma! I'm in!"

Cassius's loud shout startled Mimi as well as Emma. It shattered her concentration, causing her psychic powers to waver, and the pictures dropped to the ground. Emma looked at the scattered images for a moment before grabbing a few and gently placing them in a utility pouch. She wasn't entirely sure why she felt the need to take them with her, but something in the pit of her stomach insisted that she did.

Emma's gut instincts hadn't been wrong before. There was no reason to doubt them now.

Emma and Mimi exited the room promptly, returning to the office. Cassius spun around in the chair and grinned at them.

"The password was ' _Blastburn1#,'_ " Cassius informed them, the smirk on his face growing wider.

Emma stared at him, her expression unwavering. "Have you begun searching through the computer yet?" she asked him without missing a beat.

Cassius's smile faltered. "Uh, well, not yet—I wanted to wait for you to be here when I started," he said hesitantly, looking away from her gaze.

"Well, I'm here now. Let's get started," said Emma.

Cassius nodded in agreement. "Where should we start looking?"

"Let's try looking into Alain's work," Emma suggested. "His file stated that he's an independent researcher. We might find something there."

Without another word, Cassius began the process of scanning through the contents of Alain's computer. He plugged in key words pertained to recent research studies, and almost immediately he got several hits. Multiple documents and diagrams were pulled up and scanned by Cassius's laptop for a common theme between them. Emma paid close attention to the screen as she read the information.

Surprisingly, Alain's research all featured the three same things. The first to come up was Mega Evolution, which didn't come as a shock since it was Alain's specialty. The other two were more of a head scratcher… information on the Legendary Pokémon Xerneas and Yveltal.

What was a Mega Evolution researcher doing, studying the two Kalosian Legends of Life and Destruction?

"Who on earth is Lysandre?"

Emma's breath hitched upon hearing that name. Her heart hammered against her ribcage as her fingers gripped the back of the chair tightly.

"…Did… did you just say…?" She must've misheard. Oh, Arceus, _please let that be the case._

"Yeah, he's been in contact with someone by the name of Lysandre." Cassius turned his head to face her, his eyes widening when he saw her reaction. "Jeez, Emma. You look like you've seen a ghost," he tried joking, but it fell flat.

"…Can you pull up their conversations?" Emma asked, hoping to divert Cassius's attention away from her for a moment.

Fortunately, it worked. Cassius grunted in response as he searched for various exchanges between Alain and Lysandre. There were a few emails that came up with file attachments of Alain's research that he sent over. However, the bulk of their communication came from video calls. Emma paled as Cassius looked at the dates of each contact—the calls went back as far as two years ago.

"He's been contacting Lysandre for two years now?" Emma remarked, staring at the ever-growing list.

"It's more like Lysandre's been contacting _him_ ," Cassius corrected her. "You can tell that almost every call was initiated by Lysandre."

Emma exhaled heavily through parted lips. She leaned over slightly onto the chair, running a hand through her bangs. "Damn it," she muttered. "There's no way we'll be able to find out what they talked about in those calls."

They were _so_ close to finding out what Alain was hiding! They couldn't get stuck now!

"Maybe we can, actually."

Emma picked her head back up, staring at Cassius with a perplexed look. "What do you mean by 'maybe'?" she asked.

Cassius leaned back in the chair, his thumb and index finger resting on his chin. "Well, there's a feature of most video call programs that can automatically save a copy of the calls and store them in a backup folder." He turned his head around to Emma and smiled. "If we're lucky, perhaps Alain has that feature enabled," he explained.

"…and we can get access to those calls!" Emma reached around the chair with her arms and embraced the man as best as she could. "Cassius, you rock!"

Cassius laughed sheepishly, rubbing a finger under his nose. "I haven't done anything yet though," he reminded her. Emma released her grip on him and Cassius gave his shoulders a brief roll. "Right. Let's see now…"

It didn't take Cassius long at all to find the backup folder. Both of them held their breaths as he opened up the folder… and, lo and behold, there they were. Emma couldn't be sure if those were all the calls exchanged between Alain and Lysandre, but at least they had something.

But the fact that Lysandre was alive, after all these years… it turned Emma's skin cold just from the thought. After the Megalith was destroyed, Looker had been placed in charge of helping the police force apprehend former Team Flare members and confirming whether Lysandre was still alive or not. He reported that Lysandre was deceased, but Emma could tell that something bothered him. They hadn't found a body, after all. The Kalos gym leaders and Champion Diantha claimed that Lysandre had been struck down by a powerful attack unleashed by the Legendary Pokémon Zygarde in its Complete Forme. The logical conclusion was that it had killed him.

It was quite clear, however, that it had not killed him.

"We should get this information saved," Cassius said after a moment. "We can look at the calls more in-depth later. I'd like to get out of here sometime today."

Emma nodded in agreement. "Do it," she told him.

As Cassius started the process of downloading the files, Emma's nose twitched. She assumed it was just an itch, so she rubbed her hand under her nose in an attempt to relieve it. But after a few seconds, she realized it was reacting to a smell.

Alarm bells went off in her head as she realized what that smell was.

 _Smoke._

A panicked cry from Mimi caught Emma's attention, and she ran outside of the office to find her unleashing a Psychic attack on a wall of flames and black smoke. Emma's eyes widened with fear—they were trapped!

" _Cassius!_ " Emma shouted desperately. " _We have to get out of here, now!_ "

She heard Cassius let loose a string of curses as Emma grabbed a Pokéball from her belt and tapped the release button. The capsule popped open with a burst of red light, revealing a male Jellicent.

"Help Mimi with the fire! Use Hydro Pump!" Emma commanded.

The Jellicent obeyed, unleashing a powerful blast of water towards the flames. The attack made contact, resulting in a film of steam as the water evaporated from the intense heat. Fortunately, the combined efforts of Jellicent and Mimi managed to bring the flames down to a smolder.

Cassius finally appeared from the office, covering his face with the sleeve of his leather jacket while holding onto the satchel with the laptop shoved haphazardly inside. Emma grabbed his arm and dragged him though the hallway as Jellicent and Mimi went on ahead.

More fire greeted them as they made it to the kitchen. Jellicent and Mimi unleashed more attacks to counter the flames, but they faced a bigger problem—a portion of the floor between the kitchen and the living room had been badly scorched, resulting in a large hole that was too big to jump across.

A sudden explosion sent them flying backwards. Emma was able to grab Mimi in her arms before she crashed onto the floor, pain searing near her backside. Jellicent and Cassius had collapsed next to her, and she watched as Cassius struggled to prop himself up with his elbows.

"Oh, I'm so not dying today!" Cassius cried out. He pulled a Pokeball from his belt and extended it outward. "Gourgeist, help us out!"

"Are you crazy, Cassius?!" Emma shouted at him. "What help is a Grass-type in fire?!"

But Cassius did not seem to heed her warning. His trusted Gourgeist popped from the Pokeball in a flash of red light, wearing a serious expression on its face and ready for its trainer's command.

"Use Leech Seed to build a bridge for us to cross over that hole!" Cassius instructed.

The Pumpkin Pokémon obeyed without question. It opened its mouth and fired a barrage of small seeds into the floor near the gaping hole. Vines sprouted from where the seeds fell and shot across the gap, creating a bridge as it touched the other side.

Emma was in awe that Cassius's plan actually worked, but she didn't have time to stop and admire the handiwork. With Mimi securely in her arms, Emma recalled her Jellicent into its Pokeball and followed Cassius across the Leech Seed bridge. They had just managed to get off it when flames engulfed the bridge, roaring and cracking brilliantly.

Cassius slammed his shoulder against the door, breaking it down so they could run out of the apartment. More fire and smoke greeted them in the hallway, and Emma choked harshly from the acrid smell.

"Shit! The stairs are blocked!"

Emma's heart plummeted as she saw a wall of flames covering their only escape. A knot formed in her throat as her mind raced. How were they going to get out of here?!

Mimi suddenly struggled against Emma's grip, managing to pry out of it and land gracefully on the floor. She dashed down a branching hallway, chirping loudly at Emma and Cassius to get them to follow her. They sprinted after her, passing numerous doors and ever-growing flames.

Emma noticed that it was just her, Cassius, Mimi, and Gourgeist trying to escape… where were the other apartment residents?

She was jolted from her thought as she stumbled over her footing, and realized the drastic change of their surroundings. Mimi had lead them onto a balcony where they were outside in the fresh air, but the billowing smoke made it difficult to catch a full breath. Blaring sirens cut through the area like a knife and rattled Emma's aching head.

Cassius leaned over the wooden railing of the balcony and waived frantically towards the first responders below them, desperately trying to get their attention. As he did so, Emma heard a shrill whistling sound. She turned around just as a huge flash of fire blasted over the balcony.

The last thing Emma knew was that she was flying through the air, tumbling down farther and farther until her vision blackened, and then there was nothing.


End file.
